Image Credit: CFJC Today / Chad Klassen

By Chad Klassen

HEALTHCARE PROMISES

Liberal candidates promise local cancer treatment facility, Foundry Centre for youth

Oct 6, 2020 | 11:19 AM

KAMLOOPS — For years, Kamloops residents have had to travel to Kelowna for cancer treatment.

If the BC Liberals are elected, Todd Stone and Peter Milobar are promising $5 million for a cancer treatment facility in the city.

“This has been on the radar screen. We’ve had many discussions with hospital boards, we’ve had discussions with people down in Kelowna. Medical staff in Kelowna are also of the mind that this is a good thing in terms of decanting some of the pressure that Kelowna is feeling with those extra people coming down,” said Milobar at an announcement on Tuesday morning.

The $5 million would see a building with two new linear accelerators, a machine that works to kill cancer cells. Currently, all five machines are in Kelowna but are used frequently by Kamloops residents.

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“What we do know is that in this time right now, two of those machines’ time is being booked and used by residents of Kamloops and the surrounding area,” said Milobar. “It simply makes no sense when you have that type of mass of volume to continue to make people drive two-plus hours to get treatment, potentially overnight with hotels, and then drive back one, two, three times a week sometimes.”

The other promise made on Tuesday was $3.5 million for a new Foundry Centre, which is for youth 12-24 who need counselling and social services. Stone says Kamloops has been needing one for a few years.

“It was inexplicable to us as to why Kamloops was passed over yet again,” Stone noted. “There have been three different expansions of the Foundry program over the last three years and Kamloops is now the largest urban centre in the Interior that does not have a Foundry Centre.”

Chief operating officer of Interior Community Services Valerie Janz says it’s applied twice for a Foundry Centre and failed. She says such a centre would give young people better access to the services they need.

“It’s a one-stop shop for youth to access primary care services, mental health, addiction services. Just easier access really, breaking down barriers,” she said. “I think people just always really like to know there’s only one place where I need to show up to get what I need.”

As for the cancer treatment facility, Milobar says the centre may need more ongoing funding to operate. The $5 million will cover the building and the two new linear accelerators.